Many interventional procedures utilize guidewires in order to locate a target treatment site within the vasculature and to help convey treatment material to the treatment site.
Guidewires are typically used in interventional procedures to guide a catheter to a specific treatment site. A user manipulates the guidewire from a proximal location through the vasculature until the guidewire's distal end reaches a desired target location. The catheter is then tracked over the guidewire until the catheter reaches the target location. The guidewire typically should have good pushability (i.e., the ability to be pushed without bending or kinking) as well as the flexibility to navigate tricky bends without getting caught. Additionally, since the user will frequently torque or rotate the guidewire to navigate the complex network of blood vessels, good torque transmission is also an important element of guidewire performance.